Fork rack and associated systems and methods

Abstract

A rack, which is configured to selectively maintain at least one fork of a lift truck, includes a back, a front opposite the back, a supporting member extending between the back and the front of the rack, and a wedge member. The wedge member extends between the back and the front of the rack such that the wedge member is positioned substantially nearer the supporting member at the back of the rack than at the front of the rack. The supporting member and the wedge member collectively define a storage space for receiving the at least one fork. Fork rack systems and methods for removing, replacing, and / or storing forks provide additional advantages.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 889,964 entitled “Forklift Guard,” filed Jul. 13, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference. This application is related to U.S. Divisional Patent Application No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. T634.111.103) entitled “Forklift Guard, Fork Rack, and Associated Methods,” filed on an even date herewith, which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Industrial forklifts or lift trucks are routinely used in industrial and other applications to lift and transport materials from one location to another. The size and shape of the materials and / or crates containing the materials vary depending upon the application for which the forklift is used. In many instances, one size or style forks of the forklift are not properly configured to carry all sizes and shapes of crates or materials without causing damage to the crate or material....

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

In many instances, one size or style forks of the forklift are not properly configured to carry all sizes and shapes of crates or materials without causing damage to the crate or material.

Due to the relatively large weight of each fork and its relatively unmanageable size and weight distribution, manual handling of the forks by an individual is not only difficult, but is often times unsafe.

In addition, forks removed from the forklift are often stored on the ground, on a pile of pallets, etc., which can additionally provide danger to the user.

In particular, placing a fork on the floor can cause unwanted back strain while placing a fork on a pile of pallets may lead to an unstable pile of materials that could topple or cause other damage.

Therefore, besides being relatively slow, the above procedure of removing or replacing and storing forks often times contributes to injury such as back strain, pinched fingers, injured toes, etc.

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